Wishing you joy and peace, regardless of what government thinks

Sometimes I picture George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and the boys sitting around a smoky room, drinking Madeira wine and sharing a few laughs over what they did in creating in the Bill of Rights.

The rights, enunciated in the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution, were intended to overcome opposition to the federal constitution from those who worried how the powers of the new government might impinge on what they viewed as the God-given rights of citizens. Washington, it is said, remarked at the time that the nation owed a great debt to the opponents of the constitution, saying, “They have given the rights of man a full and fair discussion, and explained them in so clear and forcible (a) manner as cannot fail to make a lasting impression.”

I think more likely than not, the framers had a good time of it, knowing full well the chaos they were setting off for centuries to come. How in the world could they think these conflicting principles would not create intellectual heartburn?

“I’ll give you free speech,” one might have said between swigs of wine, “but you must agree to separation of state and religion.”

Of course, they knew, and enjoyed the moment, knowing they gave us a set of principles – not directions on how to run a democracy. The details they left for us.

I blame their love of the sweet grape, and applaud their utter genius. Democracy is not about a set of strict do’s and don’ts. To survive, it must bend and change and reshape itself with time.

So it is for us to sort out which principles are best served, for example, by allowing or disallowing a Nativity scene to be displayed in a state government building, and upon which constitutional principles we allow the display of a fake pasta head and Festivus pole, but disallow a Satanic display because of concerns about bad taste.

I have never been concerned about offending people who disapprove of my Christian faith. Nor do I feel I must defend it. It belongs to me.

Frankly, I do wonder why we cannot just celebrate each other’s beliefs, which is simply a matter of respecting each other, not being touchy-feely or warm and fuzzy.

Nor have I ever understood the need by some to mock the beliefs of people with whom they disagree or to “prove” them wrong, as if a person’s faith can be disproved. Quite frankly, wasn’t that all the Festivus pole and Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster were about: mocking the Christian display of the manger scene in an attempt to belittle Christian beliefs?

Why can’t we understand that, when it comes to matters of faith, smart people can come down on different sides? Why can’t we disagree and debate – or perhaps just be accepting of differences – without mocking?

At the same time, I have never understood the need of some Christians to petition government or to put their faith on display in government buildings. Faith doesn’t need government sanction.

These are the kinds of things we fight about in America, as do people in other countries around the globe. But here, we fight with thoughts and words and not bombs and bullets, because the Founders gave us the constitutional mechanism.

So as Christians freely celebrate this week of great hope and joy, let us be grateful for the right to do so without the need for government approval or interference. But also, let’s celebrate the right of a neighbor and fellow citizen to disagree and disapprove without recrimination.

With a nod to George and Thomas and James, to my fellow Christians I say Merry Christmas, and to all – Christian or not – I wish you joy, peace and good will, without the slightest care of what government or naysayers think of that.

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You can send comments by clicking on Bob Gabordi’s blog on Tallahassee.com or Move.Tallahassee.com, e-mailing him at bgabordi@tallahassee.com, sending a private message on Tallahassee.com and Twitter @bgabordi. You can also find links to his blogs on Facebook, LinkedIn and Google+. His mailing address is Bob Gabordi, Executive Editor, Tallahassee Democrat, P.O. Box 990, Tallahassee, FL 32302. His telephone number is 850-599-2177.